Pumpkin Pie Dip

I adore pumpkin pie, I remember the first time I tried one that my mum made and how delicious it was! As much as I like to bake a pie, it does take quite a bit of time and effort so I tend to only bake them for special occasions - I will definitely be baking a Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving this year! But when I'm craving Pumpkin Pie but don't want to slave away in the kitchen for hours I make this dip.

I kid you not it tastes EXACTLY like Pumpkin Pie filling! But it takes about two minutes to throw together. I like to serve this with apple and pear slices, and some speculoos or gingernut biscuits to dip. You could even make some little leaf shaped cookies out of pastry and then it would really be like the pie!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Makes 2 cups

1/2C dairy free cream cheese

1C pureed pumpkin

1/2C liquid sweetener (sweet freedom/agave/maple)

1/2C powdered sugar

2tsp cinnamon

1tsp nutmeg

1/8tsp allspice

1/8tsp cloves

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Either serve immediately or place in an airtight container in the fridge until serving.

Keeps well for 3 days in the fridge.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

This week's posts are all Autumn themed - aren't you excited that it's finally October!? And what better way to start the week off with a Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipe.

I'm obsessed with everything Pumpkin Spiced, so naturally I was really excited when a couple of years ago Starbucks brought the Pumpkin Spice Latte to the UK! However my excitement quickly disappeared when I discovered that not only does the Starbucks PSL not contain any real pumpkin, it is also laden with dairy. I spent lots of money buying Pumpkin Spice Syrup, but wasn't overly impressed as you couldn't taste the pumpkin flavor and it was too pricey.

Thankfully, I came up with this recipe and it's so delicious! (And cost effective!) I made it to give as favors for my October Crafternoon  and thought I would share the recipe here so you all can make your own Pumpkin Spice Latté's at home!

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Makes 6 cups

2 1/2C water

2C white sugar

2C brown sugar

5tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

1/2tsp cloves

1/2tsp allspice

1 vanilla pod (optional)

1/2C pumpkin puree

Put the sugars and water in a large pan over a medium heat and whisk while the sugar melts. Once all the sugar has completely dissolved add the spices and pumpkin puree and whisk again to incorporate. Add the vanilla pod and simmer on a low heat for a further 10mins, whisking occasionally, until the syrup has thickened slightly. Pour into jars or a large bottle and leave the vanilla pod in the container to give an even better flavor. Leave to cool and then store in the fridge for up to 5 weeks.

Add a tablespoon to coffee for an autumnal treat!

October Crafternoon//Animal Jar DIY

For a while now I've been wanting to start a monthly Crafternoon (craft afternoon) with good food and good company, and now that we are all settled in our new house we finally have the space to do it! I know I mainly blog about food, but I thought it would be fun to post every month about the Crafternoon so you all can enjoy it too!

This month's Crafternoon was an amazing success! There were five of us in total and we had a great time chatting, eating and making these cute animal jars together. The theme was Autumn (Fall for those of you in the US) and therefore the food, table settings and gifts were all very autumnal.

I used some gorgeous pumpkins I got at my local farm shop as a centerpiece for the table, and got mini ones to use as place names for everyone, they also became a favor as people got to take them home. The other favors were little jars of Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup (I will be posting the recipe tomorrow) and little Yankee Candle Candy Corn scented tea lights (thank goodness Yankee Candles are vegan!)

We drank hot spiced apple cider and ate smoky BBQ chili with rolls I made in the shape of pumpkins! (I will be posting the recipe later in the week) and later we had Pumpkin Spiced Coffees with Soyatoo Squirty Cream and cinnamon on top.

Everyone brought desserts to share - I will remember to take a photo next time! My contribution was my Pumpkin Spice Latté Bundt and Pumpkin Pie Dip (the recipe will be posted later this week!)

Animal Jar

Makes 1

1 jar

A small piece of paper

1 small plastic toy animal

Emulsion paint (I bought tester pots)

Superglue

1 small paintbrush

Cut a piece of paper to fit over the top of your jar. Remove the lid, place the paper on the top of the jar and put the lid back on. (This is only to protect the jar from paint)

Blob a little bit of superglue onto the feet of the toy animal and place it in the center of the jar lid. Press down lightly and then leave to set for a couple of minutes.

Paint the lid and animal as evenly as you can, making sure to get every crevice! Leave to dry (or hairdry if you are impatient like we were!) and then repeat for another two coats of paint, or until the color is bold and the coat is smooth.

Leave to dry overnight before you try to unscrew the lid.

There you have it! You can use these to store anything from food to craft supplies!

Needless to say we had a great time and can't wait for next month!

Christmas in October! (Moo Free Chocolate Review + Giveaway!)

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Gine James who won!

I recently received a wonderful package in the post from Moo Free! Chocolate has to be the best thing to get through the letter box on a Monday morning! They sent me their NEW Merry Moo Selection Box to try, and it really got me into the Christmas spirit so I decided that as well as reviewing the chocolate, I would do a little giveaway too!

Moo Free is a British company producing delicious dairy-free rice milk chocolate bars, buttons, Easter eggs and advent calenders. Their NEW Christmas Selection Box would make a great stocking filler for anyone who loves milk chocolate, especially vegan children! You can buy their chocolates, including the Merry Moo Selection Box in Sainsbury's, Waitrose and various health food shops throughout the UK and online.

The first bar I tried was the Minty-Moo bar. I love that the bar has crunchy minty bits all over it! It reminded me of mint matchmakers from my pre-vegan days. I loved this bar, as I love all things mint-chocolate, and I hope they bring out a large version of this bar soon!

The second bar I munched on was the Cheeky Orange bar. Again, this bar has crunchy bits which I love, and has a great orange flavor which reminded me of a Terry's Chocolate Orange. The orange flavor really complemented the smooth, mild milk chocolate.

I was very happy to see the Bunnycomb bar in the selection box! I buy this bar often as it's so tasty and completely covered in teensy pieces of sweet and chewy honeycomb! I usually buy the large bar but liked having a small one, these are great for lunchboxes or keeping in your bag for when a chocolate craving strikes.

The final item in the Selection Box is the Santa bar. I buy a couple of these every Christmas as they're so fun and festive - I do remember one year my Mum ordered some online for my sister and I and was really shocked when they arrived because she expected them to be massive like the Lindt ones! As much as I enjoy the plain milk chocolate in this bar, I definitely preferred the other bars as they had the extra bits in them.

If you would like to receive some chocolate through your letter box, feel free to enter my giveaway! 

As well as the Moo Free Selection Box you will also receive a Moo Free Caramelised Hazelnut Nibs Bar (my favorite Moo Free Chocolate) and two Vivani Bars - White Nougat Crisp & Black Cherry flavor. 

Just leave a comment below telling me your name and what your favorite holiday food is, and be sure to leave a valid email address! This giveaway is open worldwide and will close 12:00 midnight GMT on Wednesday 8th October.

*For an extra chance to win leave a comment on the above picture on my Instagram account (username Floralfrosting). (One entry per person on here + instagram)*

GOOD LUCK!